Writer of Various Things

This Feels Weird, Right?

CASTING REAL CANCER PATIENTS – FEMALEPRINT SHOOT FOR CANCER RELATED ORGANIZATION We are casting REAL CANCER PATIENTS – FEMALE ONLY – (must currently be bald from chemotherapy) for a print shoot for print materials for a cancer related organization.

You must be in the greater Los Angeles area.

Pay: $2,000

DETAILS:CANCER PATIENT – Female ONLY / All Ethnicities / 30-50 Current Cancer patient undergoing or recently finished treatment – MUST CURRENTLY BE BALD. Cancer may either be currently active or recently in remission.

Buyout for 2 years in North America only.I’m on a list that sends me emails with entertainment jobs and opportunities, from production and writing work to reality TV casting. This was in my email last night. Weird, right? On one hand, completely logical–because it feels equally weird to look at a cancer-related image featuring a cancer veteran, and to think that they picked a healthy model to portray that…so from that angle, kudos for finding someone “real.”

On the other hand, it’s a reminder that cancer is big business. It’s supporting profit making organizations and non-profits alike. It’s a brand that’s come to have a specific look: A bald woman. A bald, attractive, appealing, not-too-old woman, to judge from this advertisement. They’ve come to the conclusion that an attractive, bald woman best sells what needs to be sold, or elicits compassion / action / funds, or inspires comaraderie.

I should have something incisive and insightful to say about this–and there IS something I think, I just can quite articulate it at this moment. So for this moment I’ll just say–it feels weird.

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One thought on “This Feels Weird, Right?”

It kind of feels weird, but I think my mom would totally do this if she weren't in Germany. She has this "I might as well milk my cancer for what it's worth" attitude that I think is totally awesome. She'd say "You want to give me $2000 to take a picture of me? Sure!" Having cancer is expensive!